GHUNGHARU or PAAYAL

GHUNGHARU or PAAYAL

Ghungharu are the "tinklebells" or "jingle bells" which are used to adorn the feet of dancers. When tied to the feet, they are played by the act of dancing. They may also be played by hand. This instrument evolved from the payal which are traditional anklets worn by women in India.


The terms payal and ghungharu are nearly interchangeable; there is but a slight difference in the colour of the word. Whereas the term ghungharu evokes an image of the musical or dance performance, the term payal evokes the image of a mere adornment of the feet. The term payal shows up repeatedly in song and poetry in northern India where it is said to be an indication of a girl's comings and goings, her dancing, and a general joyous mood of the wearer.

There are two common forms of the ghungharu. The traditional form is merely a number of bells woven together on a string. However today it is common to find them stitched to a padded cushion. This may then be strapped to the feet of a dancer. Both forms are shown in the accompanying illustration.

WHAT IS KATHAK?

WHAT IS KATHAK?

KATHAK is the classical dance of Northern India. Its name derives from the Sanskrit word kathaka, storyteller. Long before Kathak was recognized as a classical dance form, these storytelling kathakas were integral players in the Indian oral tradition. They transmitted knowledge of religious epics and mythology -- such as the MAHABHARATA and the RAMAYANA -- by a combination of music, dance, acting and narration. Bhakti -- devotion -- was the principal emotion that the kathakas tried to evoke in their audience.

Rooted in the Hindu ethos common to all styles of Indian dance, Kathak developed into its present, distinct classical form in the Moghul and Rajput courts. Beginning in the Eighth Century, growing numbers of Muslim traders, adventurers, soldiers and rulers from Iran, Turkey and Afghanistan brought their own music, dance and costume styles to India. These influenced the performance practices of indigenous dancers and musicians, who sought patronage in Muslim courts. Meanwhile, Hindu Rajput rulers of Rajasthan also brought temple music and dance into their courts, modifying simple Hindu storytelling styles to reflect court entertainment etiquette, and contributing to the secularization and decoration of Kathak dance.

Modern Kathak descends from two great eighteenth-century Kathak dancers, Thakur Prasad of Lucknow and Janaki Prasad of Jaipur. Two of the major Kathak sytles are named after the geographical locus of the homes (ghar) of these great guru's: the Lucknow gharana and the Jaipur gharana. Each generation of Kathak dancers identifies himself/herself as "from the house of" his/her guru. It is as if becoming a student of a particular guru from a particular lineage gives second birth to the fledgling dancer, and from thenceforth, all the students of a particular guru are brothers and sisters -- guru bhai and guru behen -- no matter from what blood line or ethnicity or country they originally were born.

The narrative and poetic repertoire of Kathak continues to expand into the twenty-first century, including epics, devotional, romantic and mystical poetry in all the major languages of North India. Poetry written in Sanskrit, Urdu, Hindi and its dialects such as medieval Braj Bhasha and Avadhi reflects the mixed Hindu and Muslim roots of Kathak. The North Indian Hindustani style of classical music accompanies the dance, played by a musical ensemble that can include tabla and pakhawaj drums, sarangi, sitar, sarod, bamboo bansuri flute and vocalists.

Combining the spiritual fervor of the Hindu temple with opulent entertainment from the Moghul and Rajput courts, the Kathak dance tradition in the Twenty-first Century continues to evolve throught the art of Kathak dancers in India and throughout the world. Enriched by contemporary literature, music and performance practice, Kathak responds to an increasingly global culture.

Source : kathakensemble.com

Pandit Birju Maharaj

Pandit Birju Maharaj

The most eminent Kathak dancer of recent times is Pandit Birju Maharaj. His full name is Brij Mohan Nath Mishra. He is the only son and disciple of Shri Achyan Maharaj and is a competent inheritor of the Lucknow Gharana. Birju Maharaj is a very talented and dignified personality. He is a born artist. During his childhood, he used to keenly watch and imitate various modes and ways of Kathak while his father used to give dance lessons to his students. In this way, rather playfully child Birju learned lots of things. Pleased by his son's achievements, Acchan Maharaj started to teach his son whole-heartedly. By the age of seven, Birju performed Kathak in home town Lucknow. It was the first recital in his life. The audience was spellbound at his wonderful presentation. At the age of ten, poor Birju lost his father. That was a tremenduous blow in child Birju's delicate mind. However, he tolerated that tragidy. Then he started taking dance lessons from his uncle Shri Lacchu Maharaj and Shri Shambhu Maharaj Later on, he became the teacher of Sangeet Bharati of Delhi. He teaches at the Bharatiya Kala Kendra in Delhi. He composed many dance dramas like 'Gobardhan Leela', 'Makhan Chori', 'Malti-Madhav', 'Kumar Samvav', 'Phag Bahar' etc. and gained extensive fame all over the country. His talent, dedication, vivacity, innovation enabled him to get involved in thousands of concerts not only in India but also in different places abroad. Today, whenever Kathak is discussed, Birju Maharaj's name is always raised.

Birju Maharaj has an enormous knowledge in Bol (musical phrases interlinked with drum strokes)-Laya (speed)-Taal (beats). Apart from being a Kathak dancer, he is also introduced as a singer of Bhajan, Thumri, Dadra, Hori etc. and also as a Tabla, Pakhawaj, Dholak, Naal (percussion instruments) player. He fluently plays various string instruments like Israj, Violin, Swar-Mandal, Sitar etc. To be respectful, Birju Maharaj can be introduced as a dancer, musician, composer, teacher, director, choreographer and a poet. He is an all-rounder. In 1986, he received the prestigious 'Padma Bibhushan' tittle from the goverment of India. He also received the 'Kalidas' award. He is also a recipient of 'Nehru Fellowship' in the name of India's first Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. He is an instituition in himself. Currently, he is the chief faculty at Delhi's Kathak Kendra.

He is the father of two very well-known God-gifted talents - Shri Jai Kishan and Deepak Maharaj. He has many able desciples in India and abroad. Saswati Sen is one of the most versatile ones.

Born in the family of hereditary dancers, Birju Maharaj is the torch bearer of the famous family , Kalka-Bindadin Gharana of Lucknow, which has been serving the art of Kathak dance through centuries togather. Not only on India, he is familiarly known abroad, nearly all over the world. He has extensively toured all over the world, i.e. USSR, USA, Japan, UAE, UK, France, Germany, Italy, Aaustria, Czechoslovakia, Burma, Ceylon etc. for performances as well as lecture-demonstrations. Besides deing a superb dancer, he is also gifted with a number of other qualities which add to his artistic career.

He is a wonderful singer having command over, Thumri, Dadra, Bhajan and Ghazals and is also superb drummer, playing nearly all drums with ease and precision. He has given a new dimension to Kathak, by experimenting this technique in the application of dance-dramas, which has become very successful medium for mass propagation. As a choreographer he is the finest in the country today. His bold and intellectual compositions in traditional themes are brilliant, whereas his contemporary works are also refreshing in concept, crisp and entertaining.

He directed and composed music and sung playback for two classical dance sequences in the film, 'The Chess Players' directed by Satyajit Ray. A measure of his genius is the fact that at the age of 28 years, he received the Sangeet Natak Akademy Award. He is also a recipient of the country's second highest civilian award-Padma Vibhushan, besides several other pestigeous awards like- Kalidas Samman, Nritya Choodamani, Andhra Ratna, Nritya Vilas, Adharshila Shikhar Samman, Soviet Land Nehru Award, Shiromani Samman, Rajiv Ghandhi Peace Award.

He has been conferred with the Honorary Doctorate degrees from Banaras Hindu University, as well as Khairagarh University. He is widely acclaimed not only as a performer but also as an inspiring 'Guru' - teacher, having successfully trained numerous students in India and Abroad.

Kathak Costumes

Kathak Costumes

Kathak is a wonderful blend of Hindu and Muslim culture. So, there are two kinds of costumes in Kathak. We make costumes at a very reasonable rate. You can place an order and we will mail it to you at our earliest convenience. We make traditional costumes, but custom designs are welcome. You may provide measurements either in person or by email/mail. We suggest silk material (e.g. Banarasi , South silk). Since Kathak is unique for footwork and circles, the material has to be light for producing flaires. We have given pictures of both types of costumes below. You may provide the material of the costume or choose a color and a design and we will buy it and let you know the price.

Kathak Costumes - See pictures below

# Lahenga-Choli (long banjara-top choli or a shorter sari-blouse-style choli) and Veil (women and girls) or Dhoti-Kurta (men and boys)

# Angarakshak and Veil (women and girls) or Kameez-Churidar-Vest (men and boys)

"Katha kahe so Kathak"

"Katha kahe so Kathak"

Kathak is the classical dance style of North India. The word Kathak is derived from katha , meaning "a story", and hence the word Kathak means a storyteller who recounted mythological tales in the temples and danced them in a state of ecstasy. Having its origin in the sacred text known as the Natya Shastra , set to be divinely inspired through the sage Bharata, it has become one of the most comprehensive and expressive languages of movement in the world.

With the advent of the Mogul rule in India (11th-18th centuries), it was transformed from a temple dance to court dance and became a brilliant entertainment. It was recognized in its innovative aspect by the Mogul emperors, especially the poet king Wajid Ali Shah who rescued it from oblivion, lent it dignity and founded the famed Lucknow Garana.

This dance form depicts "life" and is based on the philosophy of the trinity - creation (Brahma), preservation (Vishnu), and destruction (Mahesh). Its poses are seldom static and it has a continuous flow of movements very near to life. Equal stress is laid on intricate footwork and beauty of expression. It is two-dimensional in character; it conceives the space basically in straight lines and does not put emphasis on giving a three-dimensional effect. The human form is conceived as a straight line and there are very few deviations from the vertical median.

Kathak can be divided into nritta and abhinayaon the one hand and tandava and lasya on the other. Nritta and abhinaya are applicable to the movements in the dance style. Tandava and lasya have to do with the type of numerics which are played on the tabla or executed by the feet.

Kathak is unique for its Footworks and Circles. It is for both male and female.

The Music of Kathak

Kathak can be danced with a wide variety of music. Here are some of them:

1. Slokas (Sanskrit / Hindi) and Bhajans (devotional songs for Hindu Gods and Goddesses). Please see the Lyrics of Bhajans.
2. Classical and Light Classical Songs e.g. Thumri, Dadra, Kajri, Hori.
3. Film songs preferably based on Ragas
4. Darbari and Ghazals (mainly Urdu) - songs based on love, admiration, infatuation, seperation etc. For examples of Ghazals, you may see Ghazals of Mirza Ghalib. You may consult the English-Urdu Dictionary.
5. Pure Classical type e.g. Paran, Tukda, Gat Nikas, Jugalbandi (a friendly competition), Sawal-Jawab (footwork with tabla or pakhawaj) and demonstration of different Beats. You may consult Taalmala.
6. Tarana based on different Ragas.
Please scroll below to see the definitions and links related to kathak.
7. Songs written by Ravindra Nath Tagore and Kazi Nazrul Islam (Bengali)
8. Folk Dances from different states of India e.g. Bhangra, Dandia, Garba, Machua, Chhau etc. and also gypsy dance. They have a unique style but they can be blended with kathak.
9. Dance Dramas (mainly Hindi) example, topics chosen from the epic Mahabharata which was composed by Vyas Deva and describes the story of Vedic era. The other great composition is the epic called Ramayana written by Valmiki. It describes the story of Rama (a representative of God Vishnu), the king of Ayodhya. Rama's wife Sita was abducted by Ravana, the demon king of Sri Lanka. Rama fought a war against Ravana and defeated him. Ramayana presents the ideology of king Rama and his love for his country ; Shakuntala, Krishnaleela etc.
10. Any musical (classical) composition e.g. Sitar, Sarod, Violin, Sarengi, Israj, Dilruba (String instruments), Sehnai, Flute (Wind instruments) and Tabla, Pakhawaj, Naal, Dholak (Percussion instruments) based on an ancient (as #9) or modern theme (preferably on India).
11. Kathak (specially footwork) can be blended with Tap dancing
Kathak Dance Elements

Basic Footwork: Right and Left feet are stamped as follows using Keharwa (An eight count beat). Please see Taalmala for details. Click here to see Kathak bells.

1 2 3 4
Ta Thei Thei Ta (Bol / Phrase)
Right Left Right Left

5 6 7 8
Aa Thei Thei Ta
Left Right Left Right

Types of Circles: Static, Dynamic, Sitting circles.

Navras: Nine Sentiments (expression / acting)
1. Shant - Quiet
2. Veer - Hero
3. Krodh - Anger
4. Adbhut - Surprise
5. Vibhastsya - Disgust
6. Karun - Pathos
7. Hasya - Comedy
8. Bhaye - Fear
9. Shringar - Beauty

Hand Gestures:
Asanjukta Hasta Mudra (Single Handed Gestures)
Sanjukta Hasta Mudra (Combined Handed Gestures)

Gat Nikas:
A composition describing the movement of a bird (e.g. peacock, swan), animal (e.g. elephant, lion), a human charactor or Hindu Gods and Goddesses and is usually performed with the beats of a percussion instrument accompanied by string instruments e.g. Sarengi, Sitar, Swarmandal etc. Gat Nikas, commonly called Gat Vab, is named as follows.

Parvati Gat - movement of Hindu Goddess Parvati (Goddess of strength)
Stri Gat - movement of a lady
Mayur Gat - movement of a peacock
Gajagamini Gat - movement of an elephant
There are many other Gats e.g. Ghunghat (veil), Holi (festival of colors), Lahenga (a Hindu dress or costume), Selami (a Muslim way of salutation to the audience) etc. There are variations in eye, neck, feet movements.


Amad - It means arrival or appearance on the stage. The Tukda following the Hindu way of greeting the audience by doing Namaste is called Amad.

Selami - At the beginning of kathak dance, the way of salutation to the audience according to the Muslim culture is called Selami.

Tukda - The Bol / Phrase having one or more Avartan (one cycle depending on beats). Please see Taalmala .

Paran - Bols / Phrases receited with the rhythm of Pakhawaj (a percussion instrument). It can be of many kinds, e.g. Bol Paran, Jati Paran, Ghungru (bells) Paran, Pakshi (bird) Paran. Also Ganesh Paran, Kali Paran, Lakhsmi Paran (by the name of the Hindu Gods and Goddesses) etc.

Tarana - It is usually sung after Chota Kheyal (consult Ragmala). It is composed of meaningless words or phrases e.g. 'Tana Dere Na Dim', 'Na Der Dani Ni', 'Tom Tana Na', 'Udanita Nana Der Der' etc. Tarana composition is the hardest one in kathak. It needs a clear conception in everything e.g. footwork, beat theory, circles, tukda, paran etc. It is usually accompanied with Tabla and can be performed in any Raga. It is fast and rhythmic, hence easily enchants the audience.
Kathak Costumes
- Kathak is a wonderful blend of Hindu and Muslim culture. The costumes are very gorgeous for both Hindu (Lahenga-Choli) and Muslim - (Churidar-Kameez-Vest) called Angrakha. Click here for more information about Kathak costumes

History of Kathak

History of Kathak


Kathak is a classical dance form from South Asia (originally from North India) and is the national dance of the USPakistan. It is a partially narrative dance form characterized by fast footwork (tatkar), spins (chakkar) and innovative use of bhav in abhinaya. It has today a form that has been influenced at various times in the past by mythological narratives by kathakas or ancient bards, temple dances, the bhakti movement (both Vaishnavism and Shaivite), and Persian influence of the Mughal courts in the 16th century onwards; and these elements are readily discernible. Performers today generally draw their lineage from three major schools of Kathak: the Jaipur gharana, the Lucknow gharana and the Banaras gharana (born in the courts of the Kachwaha Rajput kings, the Nawab of Oudh, and Varanasi respectively); there is also a less prominent (and later) Raigarh gharana which amalgamated technique from all three preceding gharanas but became famous for its own distinctive compositions.

The name Kathak is derived from the Sanskrit word katha meaning story, and katthaka in Sanskrit means s/he who tells a story, or to do with stories. The name of the form is properly katthak, with the geminated dental to show a derived form, but this has since simplified to modern-day kathak. kathaa kahe so kathak is a saying many teachers pass on to their pupils, which is generally translated, 's/he who tells a story, is a kathak', but which can also be translated, 'that which tells a story, that is Kathak'.
History of Kathak
During the Bhakti Era
During the era of fervent worship of Radha-Krishna, Kathak was used to narrate tales from the lives of these figures. Popular performances included Sri Krishna’s exploits in the holy land of Vrindavan, and tales of Krishna-Leela (Krishna’s childhood). In this time, the dance moved away from the spirituality of the temple.

Mughal influence
It was when the dance reached the Mughal court after the 15th century that Kathak began to acquire its distinctive shape and features. Here it encountered other different forms of dance and music, most especially dancers from Persia. Dancers were enticed from the temples to the courts by gifts of gold, jewels and royal favour. Patronage soared as a social class of dancers and courtiers emerged in the royal palaces, where dance competitions were held frequently. The environment of the North Indian Mughal courts caused a shift in focus from a purely religious art form to entertainment. Dancers from the Middle East spread their ideas to Kathak dancers, as they borrowed ideas from Kathak to implement in their own dance. Slowly, the two dances became one, as a common link between the Muslim and Hindu culture.

Kathak began to shift away from other traditional dances, such as Bharatanatyam. The demi-plié stance of most other Indian dance forms gave way to straight legs taken from the Persian dancers. To emphasize the flamboyant and elaborate rhythmic footwork as many as 150 ankle bells on each leg were worn. It was also during this period that the signature 'chakkars' (spins) of Kathak were introduced, possibly influenced by the so-called whirling dervishes. The straight-legged position gave a new vitality to the footwork, which wove percussive rhythms in its own right, whether together with or in complement to the tabla or pakhawaj. Kathak remained a solo art form, based on personal interpretations and emotional values. The beautiful (but copious) jewellery and costume of the dancers combined with poetic narration to tell fabulous tales of drama, triumph, and tragedy. The music, regalia, atmosphere, and themes developed through the fusion of cultures in a way that no other dance could. Although now substantially different from the other Indian dance forms, the roots of the style remain the same, and as such it displays a consanguineity with the others, particularly in the hand-formations during story-telling, and some of the body-postures, for example the tribhangi position, which is common to most Indian dance forms.

Later court influences
Many specific emperors contributed to the growth and development of Kathak into different gharanas, or schools of dance, named after the cities in which they developed. The Nawab of Oudh, Wajid Ali Shah, not only enjoyed giving patronage to dancers, but danced himself, taught by Durga Prasad. He himself choreographed a dance, Rahas, that he danced himself with the ladies of his court. He brought teachers to his palaces, aiding the expansion of technical vocabulary, and formed the basis of the Lucknow gharana, emphasizing sensuous, expressive emotion. The Lucknow gharana placed emphasis on the abhinaya and natya elements or expressional qualities of the dancing; it was famed for its subtlety and grace (nazakat). This contrasted sharply with the Jaipur gharana, which became renowned for highly intricate and complex footwork, and fast, sharp, and accurate dancing. Even after the Moghuls, courts in Rajasthan enjoyed Kathak as a sophisticated art form, fostering the growth of the Jaipur gharana. The Banaras gharana was also created in this time.

During the Raj
With the advent of British Rule in India, Kathak went into sharp decline. The Victorian administrators publicly pronounced it a base and unlovely form of entertainment, despite often privately enjoying the pleasures of the tawaif. Indeed, by associating Kathak solely with the tawaifs and then associating the tawaifs with out-and-out prostitution, Kathak acquired an unwholesome image: the entirely British concept of nautch. Kathak was, to Victorian eyes, an entertainment designed solely for the purposes of seduction. During these times of cultural hardship, the role of the tawaifs in preserving the art forms should not be underestimated. Famous tawaifs such as Gauhar Jan were instrumental in the maintenance and continuation of Kathak, even as it was officially denigrated by the prevailing political opinion.

Today
Today, Kathak has regained its popularity after the period of decline during the rule of the British Empire where it was frowned upon by Victorian administrators. Not only in India, but throughout the world, it is recognised as one of the seven classical dance forms of India. Kathak’s unique history has made it very different from other traditional dance forms, although it still retains the same roots. Presently, this classical dance is characterized by a combination of the temple and court forms, inclusive of both the devotion and romantic form that has shaped it through the years. The influence of theatre dance has presented itself in the movement towards dance productions of stories such as Shakuntala. Expressive motion, rhythmic accuracy, graceful turning, poised stances, technical clarity, hand gestures (mudras) and subtle expression (bhava-abhinaya) are important components of modern Kathak. The work of the Maharaj family of dancers (Acchan Maharaj, Shambhu Maharaj, Lachhu Maharaj and one of the great current dancers still alive today, Birju Maharaj) and his students including Pandit Satya Narayana Charka have been very successful in spreading the popularity of Kathak. Another disciple of Acchan Maharaj is Sitara Devi, daughter of Sukhdev Maharaj of Benaras. Her lively, zestful and fiery performances have impressed many audiences. Shambhu Maharaj also trained Smt. Kumudini Lakhia, who, along with Birju Maharaj, has introduced the relative innovation of multi-person choreographies in Kathak. She has gained a strong reputation for combining purely classical movements and style with distinctly contemporary use of space.

Source: gloriousindia.org